- blue sky complex ☆ ichikawa kei
- Two book-loving introverts spend a summer in the school library learning about how appearances aren't always what they seem.
- A+ pacing, A+++++ R-18 scene is A++++ like damn that is a 4-5 pages worth waiting for the build-up is excellent lol and like totes realistic!? like YES honey yes be patience princesses do the do whenever you feel the timing (literally) is right like god good ass shit i live for this shit yo
- koi nanka shitakunai ☆ story by tsukimura kei, art by itsuki kaname
- High schooler Nakajima struggles with trying to uphold his newfound familial bliss, and keeping his emerging feelings for his step-brother at bay.
- this trope has been done like tons and tons before, but!!! tsukimura-sensei's!!! pacing!!!!! and commitment to fleshing out her characters so that the story doesn't lay flat and rely solely on the appeal of the taboo subject matter!!!!!! is fucking awesome!!!!! i was like groaning with ecstasy with every chapter lol cause it didn't cop out into the "oh we're bros but its just one night of debauchery lets fuck" which i was SO HAPPY ABOUT but yes nakajima is a precious fuckin unicorn that boy deserves happiness this is a good read yes yes yes
- iberiko buta ☆ shoowa
- A gag-ish manga centering around the love lives of a gang of anti-litter vigilantes. The first story involves its fearsome leader, Irie, and his relationship with Tsubaki, the rebel son of a large company head. The second story involves a member of Irie's crew, Genji, whose budding relationship with Yoshimune, another crew member, is hindered by Yoshimune's *~*super secret dark past*~*.
- I AM A BIG FAN OF shoowa's work bc besides being an excellent artist she has a real talent for drawing out scenes that serve a purpose while at the same time making sure her stories never take themselves too seriously WHICH IS WHY i consider this above most things a gag-ish manga of sorts? its littered (haha get it) with humor while having a stable plot-line, well-established characters, and need i say long-and-drawn-out juicy sex scenes!!!!!!!!!!! lol the story itself isnt exactly original but it still tugs at your heartstrings, and while it isnt my favorite series i still find myself attached to these kids in the story soooooo i would say it makes for a good read!
- yatamomo ☆ harada
- The adventures of a good-for-nothing vagabond who's only known one thing (read: sex!) and his self-assured BF with a heart of gold!
- uhm NOT MUCH TO SAY except that like much of harada's work its smutty and vulgar and makes me feel dirty after reading it lol BUT one thing that stands out is that these characters, who in previous works often have flaws or tragic pasts that arent really justified or absolved, actually ARE redeemed somewhat!!! maybe not perfectly but at least in a way that manages to absolve these issues relatively realistically haha AND as a side note yata-chan is prolly the best top to ever have existed in the world of BL soooooo yah lol THERE YOU HAVE IT
- yoru wa tomodachi ☆ ido gihou
- masumi and tobita have the perfect bdsm relationship... until masumi finds himself wanting more from their twisted but addicting affair...
- SO TIRED LOL but basically i think this manga manages to encapsulate all of the nuances that getting into a new relationship entails, despite using the backdrop of your standard BDSM affair. its beautiful because behind all the sex and drama lies two people who suffer from wanting but not being able to truly define their relationship; this very human experience makes this bdsm title much more relatable, at least more than i thought it would be considering the subject matter lol
- the komukai household's circumstances ☆ ichikawa kei
- For as long as he can remember, Souta has always been coming home from school to a glass of barley tea made by Renji, Dad's partner.
- while the rest of the anthology isn't much to squeal about, this story still affects me years after the first time i read it. i essentially know nothing of the dynamic of an LBGT+ family, but the realism of this simple story makes it feel like an intimate snapshot of a real family.
- dousei yankee akamatsu seven ☆ story by shoowa, art by okujima hiromasa
- when a high school yankee with a heart of gold and a 20-something homeless dude share a room, there's no way they won't fall in love somehow!
- ok so the two most exciting thing abt this BL manga HERE WE GO: 1) Okujima is a SHONEN MANGA ARTIST and for him to be doing BL gives this series a real rugged, almost realistic feel!!! it also works really well with shoowa's intricate, and somewhat fantastical storytelling, and it's super refreshing to see BL of this kind of quality. SO FUN TO READ. that's what i kept repeating to myself as i read this. "THIS IS SO MUCH FUN." 2) SO SEVEN IS FILIPINO??!?!??!?! I'M DYINGGGGG ok this isn't the first time that i've seen a foreigner as part of couple in a main role, but seven is like... a real good dude??? he's tall, handsome, smart, works hard, is constantly complimented by others for his ability to learn languages quickly.... like i believe the last time i read about a s.e. asian foreigner in a main role like this he was just some lame dude with no personality except for the fact that he was not japanese lol. LIKE SEVEN IS NOT FROM JAPAN BUT THAT'S NOT THE MAIN THING ABOUT HIM??? and it's fucking great to see that acceptance in the story and esp knowing that it was written by japanese ppl for japanese audiences... in some ways i can't help but see this as a "sign of the times" kinda deal, where japan is becoming more accepting of immigrants and EVEN THO THIS IS A STUPID BL MANGA and this specific point isn't exactly the most appealing thing about this series, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME and also a pOINT OF PRIDE FOR ME KNOWING THAT THE SEME IS FILIPINO XD anyway this manga is great, highly recommended to those who are kinda growing tired of BL tropes and also don't take the genre too seriously while also looking for a wholesome, slow-burning love story *thumbs up emoji*
- dear signal ☆ suehiro machi
- arashi is a uni student who has been taking "lovesickness" medication since he was a child, meant to cure an allergy where heart-shaped rashes appear on his body whenever thinking of someone he loves. haname is his best friend who, unbeknownst to arashi, is also taking the same medication?! what exactly is the catalyst behind both's "lovesickness"? each other, of course!
- a cute concept that's implemented realistically and coupled with slow pacing and character building is always a sign of a good series <thumbs up emoji> the bonus story was kinda unnecessary imho tho, kinda wish we had more kawaii moments with the main couple :/ but overall it was a fun and light-hearted read!
- dekoboko sugar days ☆ yusen atsuko
- as kids, the tough and honest yuujiro swore to always protect the adorable and delicate rui. as high schoolers, the 185cm rui doesn't seem to need any more protecting, especially with yuujiro's 165cm height, and yet...
- give me any BL with height gaps where the seme is shorterrrrr rr r thats the good shit lmao. a wholesome read that doesn't push any buttons or change the status quo, but still enjoyable and satisfying!*
- Megumi to Tsugumi ☆ SI Mitsuru
- when the yankee tsugumi, an omega who hates alphas and refuses to use hormonal suppressants, meets megumi, whose behavior is pointedly different from other alphas, tsugumi is torn between rage and desire...
- im not a huge fan of most omegaverse stories bc i'm not cool with dubcon nor do i like subserviance tropes, but i guess thats why M&T appeals to me?? bc from the get go tsugumi also refuses to give in to omega stereotypes and in the same vein megumi refuses to give in to typical alpha behavior. so its just basically these two delinquent teenagers who respect each other bc they each refused to be lumped into a category. which are the omegaverse stories that i find more fascinating (other than the sex stuff ofc). anyway this is a good read for ppl like me who ultimately want vanilla, wholesome, disney shit but also some light conflict and tension in the form of two kids just being really shitty at communication lmao
- Meguro to Akino wa Kizukanai ☆ Yukue Moegi
- university student meguro spends most his time hanging out at his favorite gay bar or comforting his friend akino when akino inevitably gets dumped by his girlfriend of the week. however, despite their clear physical attraction to the other, not to mention their compatible personalities, neither can make the connection that maybe their relationship is more than it seems...?!
- boys being idiots is part of the reason why i love BL so fuckin much lol their whole relationship is basically the "so you guys live together cook for each other do each other's laundry and fuck every night are u going out?" "hell na" trope which is hi-la-ri-ous and totally the light-hearted style of comedy that i gravitate towards. idc what this says about me or how i view romance but i love me some wholesome stories with dumbass boys who are clueless out of their minds. ALSO minor detail (but not really since it kinda comes into play later) but i like that megu the gay one is close to akino who is straight (but not really) but they can still be bros and hang out (and have sex apparently) but then also they have friends outside of each other? that are like casually accepting of not just megu's sexuality but the fact that akino has an irritatingly obvious crush on megu lmao this is like for real what college is like and i love the realism of their friend group and their dynamic!!!! ok i had a lot more to say abt this series than i thought haha how on brand of me to care so much about a super short, super light-hearted BL comic lmao
- Yakuza wo Shibatte Ii Desuka ☆ Suji
- rui is a "rope artist", specializing in rope binding in AV. as a favor, he is asked to take in Natori Shin, a yakuza subordinate who may or may not be familiar with Rui's line of work...
- another wholesome-ass one-off that isn't jam-packed with any drama nor does it require any deep thinking to enjoy, which is just how i like 'em! as always, a list of faves:
- pure-hearted neko who besides having the funniest reactions (i mean loving gag-ish reactions is kinda on brand for me) is super interesting bc he not only is passionate about his work (a rope artist on AV sets), but he also advocates for *~*consent*~* and won't do anything to the actors he works with unless they feel comfortable!! the amount of thoughtfulness the author put behind rui's personal values and outward personality makes it so much easier to fall in love with his character and it was a joy to see him in every scene being the unapologetic, enthusiastic person he is
- in my opinion a manga is easier to get into if the side characters are lovable :) the way that rui's coworkers interact with rui and shin totally adds to the world building and showcases the personalities of the main characters in a way that doesn't take you out of the story ^^ if a writer can make side characters that readers will still care about even after they've officially stopped appearing in the story, then you know you're a good writer!
- RUI'S ROPE CLOCK I MEAN WHAT A FUCKING CUTE DETAIL!!!! did rui actually buy that clock? was it a present? did he actually take the time to practice his workmanship on the clock? what dedication!!
- ugh anyway i feel like i should take like idk screenwriting classes or at the very least watch more YT videos on movie breakdowns cause i'm so bad at using terminology to express why i am in love with certain details of the story u__u well long story short this was a good and quick read, loved every second of it and i can't wait to read more stories from the manga-ka ヽ(^o^)
oct 11 2015 ∞
jul 1 2021 +